Soul Beast Hunting

Dugu Bo's expression darkened as he glanced at the group of girls clustered around Tang Yin. "This little brat is really something," he muttered. "Even Yan Yan's best friend has fallen for him."

Just then, Tang Yin straightened up with a grin. "Grandpa Dugu, you just need to handle the decade-millennium soul beasts. Leave the thousand-year ones to me—consider it training."

Dugu Bo raised an eyebrow but was secretly pleased by Tang Yin's courage. "You're quite bold, Tang Yin!" he praised. In this world where strength reigned supreme, such bravery was respected.

By noon, the group had entered the Sunset Forest. Tang Yin extended his telepathic sense, scanning for suitable soul beasts. With many high-age beasts lurking within the forest, it didn't take long.

Soon, he spotted one. A unicorn armored beast, around four thousand years old—perfect for Ning Rongrong.

"Hm... This one's just right for Rongrong," Tang Yin murmured. "I'll raise its age a bit first, then let it sacrifice itself for her."

Of course, he had no plans to reveal his secret to Dugu Bo just yet. It wasn't about distrust; some abilities were simply best kept to oneself. The girls, however, were his own people—no need to hide anything from them.

To proceed with the sacrifice, he needed to separate from the group. "Grandpa Dugu, I've found one that suits Rongrong. It's not particularly strong, so I'll take her with me."

Dugu Bo was about to scold him for being reckless when he suddenly saw Tang Yin sweep Rongrong into a princess carry and dash off into the forest.

"…Haah. This kid's either fearless or crazy," Dugu Bo sighed, shaking his head.

The rest of the girls, meanwhile, were caught between worry—and envy.

"So romantic!" one of them whispered, watching the disappearing figures. The others could only nod with complicated expressions.

They weren't just jealous—they were more expectant. After all, soon it would be their turn.

Their hearts beat with expectation, each wondering what it would feel like to be held like that...

Rongrong, meanwhile, was completely flustered.

Her face was burning red, her heartbeat quick and chaotic. She was so close—too close. His bright violet eyes, and his flowing blue-silver hair up close looked dazzling . And his warm breath tickled her skin. She tried to look away—but found her eyes drawn back every time.

Tang Yin paid no attention to Rongrong's flushed face. His focus sharpened as he unleashed his telepathy, locking onto two nearby thousand-year-old soul beasts and guiding them directly toward the unsuspecting unicorn armored beast.

As they approached, Tang Yin gently lowered her to the ground and looked her in the eyes.

"Rongrong, what you're about to witness is my greatest secret. You must never reveal it to anyone. Understood?"

She blinked, then nodded seriously. His trust meant something to her—and she wouldn't betray it.

Tang Yin turned away without hesitation and approached the three beasts, all frozen in place under his mental control. Without a word, he raised his hand—and two hidden weapons flashed out, striking the two weaker beasts with deadly precision. They dropped instantly, their purple soul rings floating above their still bodies.

He walked over and placed a hand on the rings. Energy pulsed around him as he absorbed the soul power directly. In mere seconds, the glowing rings dimmed—purple turned to yellow, … yellow to white… then vanished completely.

Rongrong stood in stunned silence, eyes wide, mouth slightly open. "You absorbed the soul rings…?"

Tang Yin didn't answer. Instead, he turned to the unicorn armored beast and began channeling the stored soul power with energy conversion. Its green armor thickened, its body swelled, and its aura grew denser with each passing second. When it finally reached nine thousand years of age, he withdrew his hand.

Scanning the area once more with his telepathy, he ensured it was safe—then willed the beast to begin its sacrifice.

Tang yin instructed Rongrong "Release your martial soul rongrong"

A divine light shone down through the forest, filling the area with a warm glow. As Ning Rongrong summoned her Nine Treasured Glazed Tile Pagoda, The bright purple soul ring slowly rose into the air, glowing with ripples of soul power hovered directly onto her wuhun.

"Sacrifice?!" Ning Rongrong's eyes widened in shock as the truth hit her. The full weight of Tang Yin's trust settled in her chest. Such a heaven-defying ability… and he shared it with me?

"You're amazing!" she cried, overcome with emotion.

Without thinking, she threw herself into his arms and kissed him deeply.

Tang Yin didn't resist. He welcomed her affection without hesitation, holding her close—as if she were the most precious thing in the world.

"Tang Yin, you won't believe it!! I've already reached Soul Level 37!" Rongrong shouted, her voice trembling with excitement. "Oh my god! That's a jump of nearly ten levels—do you know how many years you just saved me?!"

Tears sparkled in her eyes as she rushed into his arms. "And that's not all—you even helped evolve my wuhun! Tang Yin, I love you so much!"

She hugged him tightly, overflowing with joy.

Tang Yin smiled warmly at her excitement, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek. "I love you too, my precious," he whispered gently.

Rongrong buried her face into his chest, blushing like a sunrise.

Tang Yin and Rongrong returned hand in hand, completely unbothered by the girls' murderous glares—or Dugu Bo's increasingly dark expression. But that scowl quickly twisted into shock.

"You! What level are you now?" Dugu Bo barked, eyes fixed on Rongrong with disbelief.

Rongrong hesitated and looked up at Tang Yin for approval. He gave a casual nod.

"Level 37!" she announced brightly, unable to hide her excitement.

Dugu Bo froze. His jaw slackened, and his gaze slowly shifted to Tang Yin, eyes burning staring at him like he was some kind of rare treasure.

Tang Yin immediately took a step back, raising his hands to cover his chest. "Old man, what are you thinking?! Don't get any weird ideas!"

Dugu Bo coughed awkwardly. "Ahem… Nothing."

The girls giggled at the exchange, amused by Tang Yin's antics and Dugu Bo's flustered reaction. Grumbling to himself, the old man turned and marched ahead, clearly trying to walk off his embarrassment.

Meanwhile, Tang Yin continued scanning the forest with his telepathy. Before long, he located two soul beasts that were perfect matches—one for Zhu Zhuqing, and one for Meng Yiran.

Without wasting time, he repeated the same process as before. Fortunately, both soul beasts were already of high age, so there was no need for additional massacre to boost their cultivation.

He led Zhuqing and Yiran away, leaving Dugu Bo behind, fuming and muttering under his breath about how reckless that boy was—wandering off like it was a playground instead of a soul beast forest.

When the girls laid eyes on their respective soul beasts, they were stunned—neither beast made a move to attack.

"They're... just standing there?" Meng Yiran whispered.

Tang Yin smiled faintly. "That's because they're under my control."

He didn't hide anything and openly demonstrated his ability. The moment they understood what he could do, both girls turned to him with awe in their eyes.

Zhuqing's soul beast was a sharp-clawed leopard, a perfect match for her martial soul. Meng Yiran, on the other hand, faced an earth dragon—its robust and grounded nature aligning seamlessly with the recent evolution of her weapon soul.

Both soul beasts were already over eight thousand years old, needing only a slight boost to reach the ideal nine-thousand-year threshold. Luckily, Tang Yin had stored enough excess soul power from before.

With practiced ease, he channeled it into the two beasts, pushing them past the mark—then guided each one to sacrifice itself for the girls.

A brilliant divine light surrounded them, and two rich, deep purple soul rings slowly rose into the air hovering over their martial soul.

Zhuqing felt the surge in her soul level and her eyes widened in disbelief. Meng Yiran, on the other hand, was far less reserved—her emotions bubbling over as she immediately threw herself at Tang Yin, showering him with kisses.

Zhuqing, though naturally shy, wasn't about to be left behind. With a sudden burst of courage, she darted in front of Tang Yin and gently pecked his lips. Just as he began to savor the moment, she vanished again in a flash—face flushed, heart racing.

Tang Yin blinked, lips still tingling, then chuckled to himself. "Slow progress… but definitely progress."

As they made their way back, Zhu Zhuqing spoke up in a quiet voice, her tone tinged with disbelief.

"Tang Yin… my cultivation has risen to soul level 38. It increased by nearly ten levels."

Meng Yiran grinned proudly beside her. "Mine's at level 42 now! Hehe, Tang Yin, my soul level's higher than yours!" she teased, sticking out her tongue playfully.

Tang Yin just smiled, letting the girls enjoy their moment.

When they returned to the group, Dugu Bo's jaw nearly dropped again—but this time, the shock was starting to wear off. He stared at Zhuqing, then Yiran, then Tang Yin… and finally just muttered under his breath.

"…I should stop being surprised at this point."

Tang Yin repeated the process once again, this time finding two suitable soul beasts—one for Dugu Yan and one for Ye Lingling. For Dugu Yan, he only located a thousand-year-old black mamba, but that didn't bother him in the slightest. After all, he could just boost its age himself.

With the mamba fully under his control, Tang Yin casually rode the snake toward the girls, drawing startled gasps.

"Tang Yin, what are you doing?!" Dugu Yan shrieked, rushing toward him to pull him away from the serpent.

He only laughed, clearly enjoying himself. "Don't worry, love. This one's tame—it's under my control. Come on!"

Still uncertain, Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling climbed onto the mamba behind him, both gripping him tightly. Tang Yin didn't mind. In fact, he was quite enjoying the soft embrace.

They arrived at a clearing where a powerful plant-type soul beast was fending off lurking predators with whip-like vines. Without hesitation, Tang Yin made it sacrifice itself for Ye Lingling.

A divine light burst forth again, bathing the area in a soft glow as a deep purple soul ring floated above Ye Lingling's martial soul. Her lips parted slightly in awe, eyes sparkling.

Tang Yin couldn't help but grin. So cute, he thought. I kinda want to squeeze her cheeks...

Dugu Yan stepped closer, eyes narrowing in curiosity. "That... was a sacrifice, wasn't it? I've only heard of such a thing being done by hundred-thousand-year soul beasts."

As the granddaughter of Dugu Bo, she had inherited a wealth of soul master knowledge—so her recognition wasn't surprising.

Tang Yin smirked and raised an eyebrow. "Well? Am I amazing or what?"

"Shameless," she replied, but the admiration in her gaze betrayed her words.

Once Ye Lingling finished absorbing the ring, she practically bounced in place. "Tang Yin! My soul level is now 44! I was only at 35 before I met you. This is the happiest day of my life—muah!" she declared, planting a kiss on his cheek without warning.

Tang Yin was stunned—but pleased. Seeing the usually reserved Lingling so cheerful made his heart soften. Her happiness only made her even more adorable.

This girl… she might just melt me completely.

Tang Yin made quick work of the remaining lurking soul beasts, clearing out the area. With each kill, his soul power reservoir steadily increased—another eight thousand years' worth added in moments. Without hesitation, he injected the accumulated power into the black mamba.

The serpent's body swelled in size, its black scales deepening in color and sheen as its strength climbed. Once it reached the desired age, Tang Yin sacrificed it directly to the eagerly waiting Dugu Yan.

Once again, a divine light spread through the forest, bathing the trees in golden brilliance. A rich purple soul ring hovered above Dugu Yan's Jade Phosphorus Serpent spirit.

Her eyes lit up with shock and joy as she gripped Tang Yin's hand tightly.

"I can't believe it! My soul level… I broke through to level 48! Oh my god!" she exclaimed, her voice trembling with excitement.

Then, without warning, she pulled him close and kissed him deeply, catching him off guard.

Tang Yin barely had time to react before she wrapped her arms around him and pressed her lips even harder against his, leaving no room for escape—only heat and passion.

As they approached Dugu Bo, a blur of shadow suddenly darted past Tang Yin. It was Dugu Bo himself, who dashed ahead and stood in front of Dugu Yan, laughing heartily. Dugu Yan flushed with embarrassment in front of her friends and quickly scolded her grandfather.

But Dugu Bo didn't care. His granddaughter had finally found a chance to survive, and that was all that mattered to him. His gaze shifted to Tang Yin, now filled with an oddly warm affection. Tang Yin stiffened.

'Why's this old man looking at me like that? It's creeping me out...'

"This old bastard… don't give me that creepy look," Tang Yin thought, but kept his mouth shut, not wanting to tempt fate.

Soon after, Tang Yin and Dugu Bo escorted the girls back to Lanba Academy. The air was thick with reluctant goodbyes. The girls watched him with unwilling eyes, some biting their lips, others refusing to speak, as if doing so would make him stay longer.

"Goodbye, everyone," Tang Yin said with a smile, forcing himself to look away from their eyes.

Without hesitation, he left with Dugu Bo, fearing that if the girls begged him to stay, he might not have the courage to walk away.

[Everyone I will give a detail info on the girls soul ring in the auxiliary chapter by tomorrow. All right goodnight]